Senator Merkley Thanks Fellows on Senate Floor
MRS/OSA Congressional Fellow, Mirvat Abdelhaq, Senator Jeff Merkley's (D-Oregon) office, recently helped draft parts of the Water Resources Development Bill and its amendment, and reached out to other Senate offices to educate their staff about bill and amendment.
The bill authorizes water resources projects across the country. A section of the bill establishes authority for the EPA to distribute low-interest loans to cities and municipalities looking to upgrade and replace water infrastructure facilities The bill encourages sustainable and green infrastructure projects as well as projects that are looking to improve water and energy efficiency at the treatment plants.
The bill's amendment, which passed with bipartisan support, establishes a domestic preference for American iron, steel and manufactured goods for the infrastructure projects that receive loans from the EPA, inherently tying the bill to American manufacturing, jobs and innovation.
To view the Senator's speech discussing the bill on the floor last month, including his support of the AAAS Fellowships, click here: